Process for the manufacture of alcohol.



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PROCESS QQGAME.

No Drawing. Appdeation filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it kuowi. that 1, Autumn Ennne'ro V. Memo, a citizen of the Republic of .lviexico, residing in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes for the l danu'facture of Alcohol, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates particularly to processes for the manufacture of alcohol from the juice obtained .t'rozn sisal hemp leav s and from similar plunts known as .iit/acec. Heretofore the fermentation and extractionot alcohol from the juice of these p 'iints has required a slow fermentation lfipeitding over several days, and the object pf my invention is to produce a quick and apld fcrmentatlon, as quick as from four in six hours, whereby the output of a plant of at given size may be materially increased,

the amount of labor reduced, and. the cost of production cheapened.

According to my invention, l mitt with the fresh and cold juice obtained i'rom the above-mentioned plants a certain. amount of scraped or pulverized raw potatoes, coarse brown sugar, ground Indian corn and the down of a plant called pin weld, and allow the mixture to ferment. I have found following proportions to give good "results: l-l-t liters of sisal hemp juice or juice of the similar Agaves; 8 ounces of scraped raw potatoes; 8 ounces of coarse brown sugar; 8 ounces of ground Indian corn; and 9 ounce of the down of pimmla plant. These ingredients are mixed and the mixture allowed to :fcr-

ment in any suitable vessel, during four to six hours. After the fermentation has taken place, which happens in a much shorter time than with any of the old methods ot t'er- 40 mentation, the mixture may be distilled and purified in any well-known apparatus, al-- though I prefer to use the apparatus and method of purification described in an application filed by me of even date herewith. The pin/weld plant referred to is touiul in Mexico and other hot countries. in Colinni, Mexico, it is known by the names a'ooaz'szic Spceiiieution of Letters Patent. ll grizm ltuil Juno WY, 1911.

Serial No. 599,763.

or c/mmra'inflJ; in lvlcuico' Valley by iz'mbirife/i0, (175]?!(13061, (mono [1mm in Yucatan and other districts oi time) it is known as 5 'HiYLHf/Z/L. 'l. he plant is described in numerous l lnglish, iilmcrican, and French dictionaries under the name )lsurutm; pl'umicri and also under the name ln'owurliu. ury 21in. The plant grows wild, and at the present time is little used. It blossoms when it is about one our old, usually during the months of Il ehrdury or M a rch, and the flower is followed by u fruit which ripens in May. The fruit is elongated in form, each being 41; to 5 inches long, and .0 there being from 150 to 200 bornd on each plant. The fruit is covered with soft down of brownish color, and it is this down that I employ in carrying out my process. The down takes the place of yeast heretofore em- 65 ploycd to start fermentation, and no yeast is required in carrying out my process. Neither is it necessary to heat the juice during fermentation, which preferably is allowed to take place at ordinary {ltlllOSPllQllC tempera- 7 0 turn, and in an open vessel H1 contact with the air.

While I have given the proportions of the substances WllICll l. have found to give the best result in carrying out my process, 1 am aware that these proportions may be varied without departing from the spirit oi. my in vcntion and the scope of my claim.

What I claim is:

The process of manufacturing alcohol which consists in mixing with the fresh. cold juice obtained from plants known as Ago l ce a predctcrmincd amount of scraped raw potatoes, coarse brown sugar, ground l'ndian corn, and down of the yn iulcla plant, allowing fermentation to take place during four to six hours, and distilling the alcohol from. the said mixture, substantially as descuibcd.

AQllllillS ERNESTO V. CASTRO.

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